Advancement of pretend play

Using their imaginations to give roles to inanimate things or people, children engage in a type of symbolic play known as pretend play in which they use items, actions, or ideas to symbolize other objects, actions, or ideas.

Toddlers start to use their imagination, turning brooms into horses and sticks into boats. Most of the time, they play alone, giving roles to dolls and teddy bears that are lifeless. 

Children in preschool, between the ages of three and five, are better able to envision the characters in their pretend play. They like pretend play and their games become more sociable. They assign roles to themselves and other people, sometimes with a prepared plan, comprising multiple sequenced stages, such as pretending to be at the doctor’s office or having a tea party.

Advancement of pretend play

The following descriptive sequence of pretend play was discovered through research influenced by Jean Piaget:

With a single toy that looks like a genuine thing, perform one fake change toward yourself: The kid pretends to eat toy food while giving a doll or stuffed animal a cuddle.

The youngster makes a doll act as though it is eating toy food. Object is pretend agent (with toys that imitate actual items, object is handled as though it acts).
Single fake transformation (with toys that bear no relation to actual objects): A youngster builds a bed out of blocks and shapes a pancake out of modeling clay.
Playing a pretend role involves using toys that imitate actual stuff: The youngster makes up roles as a cook using play ingredients and a policeman using a toy automobile and badge.

The youngster plays a pretend role (with toys connected with a role that mimics actual items): by pretending to be a cook with toy food or a policeman with a toy car and badge.

Many variations on pretend role-playing (using toys that simulate real-world objects): When a youngster plays with dolls or toy animals, they assume positions such as doctor, patient, and nurse.

Without the aid of toys that simulate actual items, play role: The youngster builds the props required for the make-believe scene with blocks or modeling clay, such as a farm with blocks and farm animals made of the latter.

Multiple pretend roles (with toys that resemble real-world objects): A group of children use doctor’s office toys and play roles as doctor, patient, and nurse.
Youngsters use blocks or modeling clay to build the imaginary scenario and assign roles to play (without toys that mimic actual items).

Children’s play increasingly incorporates imagination, drama, and imitation as they develop linguistically, intellectually, and socially. A youngster engages in dramatic play when they pretend to be someone else and imitate behaviors and words from a previously seen scenario. Sociodramatic play is defined as a play in which another person participates.

The most sophisticated type of symbolic play, sociodramatic play, requires participants to utilize their imagination to assume their roles. During sociodramatic play, kids can develop negotiating, listening, sharing, turn-taking, and respect for others’ feelings, opinions, ideas, and physical space. 

How can parents and teachers encourage children’s pretend play?

By offering loose pieces with many uses, such as building blocks, boxes, and unrealistic materials that may be thought symbolically as other items, parents, childcare facilities, and schools can improve the child’s capacity for pretend play. Playing pretend is made possible by costumes, props, and themed environments like dollhouses or toy grocery shops. 

Linkage of social skills and outdoor playareas

Playing outside on playgrounds improves social interaction and motor development, allowing youngsters more expressive freedom and vigorous mobility. The outdoor setting provides greater access to loosely organized, unrealistic natural materials and open space that promotes pretend play. While playing outside, boys play more dramatically and girls are more forceful.

Playground layouts and improved imaginations

Playgrounds are being developed that dramatically promote pretend play in new, creative ways. Some of the themes used into today’s playgrounds are old west towns, forts, castles, pirate ships, rescue fire vehicles, railroads, and space ships. Pretend play is encouraged by slides, fire poles, overhead ladders, climbers, bridges, spring rockers, as well as by decks, roofs, tunnels, chat tubes, and bubble panels. Platforms with window and door cutouts provide kids a space to play dress-up.